Flying-machine.



' S. C. ANKER-HOLTH.

FLYING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED 00T. 30, 1909.

-Eatented Dec. l2, 1911.

S. C. ANKER-HOLTHL' -FLYING MACHINE. APPLIGATIONPILED 00T. so. 1909 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Armen/Eri Patented Deo. 12, 1913i.`

I S. G. ANKER-HOLTH.

FLYING MAGHNB. APPLICATION FILED 00T. 3o, 1909.

Patented Deo. 12, 1911.

s SHEETS-SHEET 3.'

.specicatien ortica.'

SEVERIN C. ANKER-HOLTH, 0F RIVERSIDE, ILLINOIS'.

HoLTH, a citizen of the United States, re#

siding at Riverside, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a cerrin new and useful Improvement in Flying-Machines, of which the following is a My invention relates to flying machines or aeroplanes and the objects of the invention are; first, toprovide a simple, economical and efficient machine capable of being steered in any direction andcapable of having its direction of flight reversed so that it may move either forward or backward, as desired by the operator; second, to provide amachine capable of rising substantially vertically in the air from a condition of rest; third, to provide a construction such-that in case the motor should for any reason stop working', the descent will be gradual andI not exceed -the limit of safety; and, fourth, to provide suitable nteans for holding the machine upright when at rest. I obtain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l isa plan of the complete machine. Fig'. 2 is a sectional elevation thereof taken transversely of the machine Fig.

Sis aplan'section taken just beneath the horizontal wings or planes. Fig. l is a side elevation of the machine. Fig. 5 is a` scctional elevation showing, upon an increased scale, the parts shown at the central .portion of `Fig. 2, and Fig. 6 is a plan of the parts shown in Fig.

Similar letters refer to similar parts` throughout the several. views.

In the preferred form, here shown, my machine comprises two fixed, horizontal wings a, t having a longitudinal depression or channel 7; arranged between them and extending from. front to rear of the machine. This channel is formed by the parallel vertical alls o connected at the bottom by the door b2, as best shown in Fig. 5. The walls Z9 'have lateral openings Z13 through which air is forcedoutward in the manner hereinafter described. The wings, a., walls 2)' and floor 722 are foraed preferably of canvas or other fabric 4and are held rigidly in position by a suitable frame-work. This frame-work may be varied -but an appropriate form is here shown, and consists of transverse and longitudinal ribs c which i FLYING-MACHINE.

Specification ef Letters Patent.

Application filed October 30, 1909.

Patented Dec. 12, 1911. Serial N0. 525,493.

overlie the fabric ofthe wings, and vertical struts (l connected to them and appropriate braces e. These together with the masts f which extend above and below the wings and the horizontal braces constitute a frame-work or truss which hold the parts rigidly in position.

The masts f extend downward a clonsiderable dist-ance from the wings a and support at theirl lower extremities a car body L of any suitable design for carrying passengers and freight and supporting thev motor i. The axis of revolution of the motor is preferably vertical, as a result of which it has a gyroscopic action and assists in. maintaining the equilibrium of the ma chine.` Said motor is connected to the driveshaft j which extends upward to a horizontal counter-shaft 7c to which it is connected by appropriate gearing m. Shaft 7c extends longitudinally and is connected by means of gearing n to the propeller shafts o which extend 4transversely through the channel o at suitable, distances apart and drive the fan blades .or propellers p. Said propellers are located at'the lateral openings?)3 in the channel Z9 and are provided with disks p, 722. .Said disks are concentric with the shafts 0, the inner disk 7) being locatedat the inner edge of the propeller blades and having a central aperture 723, as best shown in Figs. 3 and'lt. The outer disks 792 are of smaller diameter than the propellers and hence when'the propellers are rotated air will be drawn 'in through the aperture p5 in the inner disks 79 and will be forced diametrically toward and around the outewdge ofthe disks 772. This causes the passage of a current of air downward from the top of the channel and then outward through the opening 723. thence through the propellers 7), from which point the air will be forcedin a current moving radially outward from the shafts 0 and simultaneously toward the edges of the machine.

An inverted V shaped partition q is arranged longitudinally in the machine, the

apex projecting upward through the floor b2 and overlying and'protecting the shaft 7c and gearing m. a; 'By preference the .partition q extends downward to a point beneath the propellers 7) incidentally forming a roof to p'rotectthe contents of the car body.

Between the propellers 'p are blades rsecured to vertical controlling shafts r"provided with levers f2 connected by rods r3, the parts being so constructed and arranged that all the blades on one side of the inachine can be controlled by a single controlling rod. The bla-des 11 are located insuch position with reference to the propellers?? and vertical walls b" as to not only steer the machine but. also to form pockets between themselves and the walls b and thus confine the air coming from the propellers and cause the machine to -inove in a horizontal direction, as hereinafter described. Props or legs s are pivotally supported at the outer corners ofthe wings, said lugs being upwardly yieldable against springs s. Said springs are interposed between collars s2 on said legs and sleeves 't which are pivoted to the wings. These legs serve to support the machine in upright position when at rest upon the ground.

In operation, when the motor is set in motion the rotation of the propellers causes the air to be sucked downward through the channelb and outward through the opening L and thence both laterally through and radially from the propellers. The suction decreases the atmospheric pressure` above the wi-ngs and increases it beneath the wings, the result being to cause the machine to rise in a vertical direction. Equilibrium is assured by reason .of the fact that the center ofv gravity of the machine is considerably lower than the plane of the wings.

The direction in which the machine will .travel depends upon the position of the blades 1". When sa'd blades are set in the position shown in Iiig. 3 the machine will move toward the left, for the air coming from the propellers will be confined between said bladesand the walls b. The direction of travel may be reversed by reversingthe blades so that the pockets will be formed at the right of the propellers instead of at the lett of them, the latter position being shown in Fig. 3. By placing the blades parallel with the walls b the machine will have no progressive movement but will rise vertically upward. By reversing only'one set of the blades r, the vmachine maybe made to turn to the right or to the left. It will thus be seen that the machine is under complete control by means of the motor h and blades 1' without the use of movable wings, rudders or the like, and the direction of travel may be changed without touching the motor o'r `any of its. connections. .As the center of gravity is farbelow'the planeof the wings the machine will .at all times remain upright, and by properly proportioning the area of the wings to. the Weight of the machine the motor lmay be stoppedvin mid air and the ymachine permitted to descend with. Euit exceeding a rate L of speed well Within the s'imitsof safety.' While I prefer 'to construct the propellers .having tween and beneath them, said channel hav' with iiat blades, and disks as shown, other constructions may be substituted so long as the air currents are caused to flow substantially in the direction indicated.

Having thus described my invention whatv I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a flying machine the combination of fixed horizontal wings arranged in the' saine plane and located a slight distance apart, an i draw the air downwardly 'from the space betwccn the wings and the partition and adapted to force the air thence radially and. laterally outward toward the lateral edges of the wings.

2. In a flying machine the combination of wings arranged substantially inthe same horizontal plane, a pairA of blades located on opposite sides of the longitudinal median line ot the machine, said blades being rotatable upon vertical axes and a propeller ar ranged adjacent to each of said blades and adapted to. force air in a horizontal direction toward them.

3. In combination an aeroplane, vertical walls extending longitudinally ot the machine, air propellers on the .opposite sides of Said walls adapted to force air in a-direetion parallel to said walls, and blades located adjacent to said walls and adjacent to said propellers, said blades being rotatable about Avertical axes for the purpose described.

4. In combination an aeroplane having parallel vertical walls extending longitudinally of the machine, air propellers located on the outer sides of said walls and adapted to rotate about horizontal axes transverse to said walis and adapted to force air in a direction parallel to said walls and blades adjacent to each of said propellers, one ahead and one behind, said blades-being adjacent to said walls and adapted to rotate about vertical axes for the purpose described.

5. Ir. combination an aeroplane4 having parallel vertical walls extending longitudinally of the machine, air propellers located en the outer sides ot' said walls and adapted to rotate about horizontal axes transverse to.

saidI walls and adapted to force air in' a direction parallel to said walls, and blades adjacent to each oi said propellers one ahead and. one behind, said blades being adjacent to said walls and adapted to rotate about vertical axes, controlling all of the blades on the same sid c of said walls, for the purpose described. i

6. In combination fixed horizontal wings a longitudinal channel arranged being a'floor and side wallsl with lateral openand means for sinniltanemislyv las ings in them, an inverted V shaped longitudinal partition Whose apex enters A*said channel, rotatable air-propelling blades located adjacent toisaid Openings and beneath` said wings, transverse horizontal shafts for rotating said blades,.a motor Vbeneath said shattsand connections 4between said shafts and said motor. I

7. In combination, Xed horizontal Wings having a longitudinal channel arranged lbetween and beneath them, said'channel having al floor and side Walls with lateral openings in-them, an inverted V shaped longi- .apertured and the' outer Vdisk being tudinal partitionl Whoseapex -enters said channel, rotatable air-propelling blades lo-` cated adjacent to said openings and beneath said Wings, transverse horizontal shafts for rotating said blades, vertical disks at the: edges of said propeller blades, concentric therewith, the inner disk being centrally smaller diameter thanthe inner disk and means located chiefiy beneath said shafts for driving them.

8. Ina iiying machine, the combination with the carand motor, of a longitudinal channel'above said car, said channel'having openings in theside Walls thereof, Wings extending laterally outwardd fromthe upper edges of said channel, propellers driven by said motor, and located under said Wings; ad jacent to the openings in the side Walls of Said channel, rotatable vertical rods, blades mounted upon said rods between the pro- Y SEVERIN o. ANKEE-HOLTH.

Witnesses: v

-H0WARD M. Cox, v' MARGARET D. ROBE. 

